Exploring the Factors of Social Exclusion: Empirical Study of Rural Haryana, India

The present study aims to explore the factors of social exclusion which are affecting scheduled castes most. Furthermore, it also presents the socio-economic condition of the scheduled castes. The current study was undertaken in the rural Haryana state of India. To attain the objectives, a well-structured interview schedule was framed to collect adequate data for analysis. Data were collected from the 486 rural scheduled castes household heads of the Fatehabad Block of the Fatehabad district of Haryana state using the purposive-cum-proportionate stratified sampling technique. Collected data were analysed with the help of the factor analysis technique. Identified factors by using factor analysis technique were the labour market, social relation, banking and finance, poverty, social environment and participation. Findings suggest that large sampled households have the lower socio-economic profile. Identified factors have a strong nexus with the poor socio-economic profile of the scheduled castes. Further, findings of the study also indicate that identified factors mutually reinforce each other and keep the trap of exclusion operative due to which scheduled castes continue to have poor socio-economic status in the society and largely remain excluded.